Community Brag Posts

Big Kids Picnic Table

I built this table in one day by myself. Well, just me and these three kiddos. We were at Home Deopt selecting wood at 9am and by 7pm they were sitting on a finished table. Thank you so much for the easy to follow plans, Anna!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
I used a hodge podge of three different kinds of stain that we had in the garage. Each board is slightly different. I like the final look that gave, actually.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Rustic X Coffee Table

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 10/25/2016 - 19:11

I had already built the Rustic X End Tables, and 3 years later I finally built the Rustic X Coffee Table to match!  I shorted the length by 8" and coated the whole piece in a steel wool and vinegar solution.  I then went back and used White Adirondack chalk paint by Folk Art for the base.  I sanded the edges lightly for the distressing and put 3 coats of Minwax Matte Polyurethane over the entire piece for the top coat.  I ended up putting 2 large wicker baskets underneath for extra storage and it is perfect!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$60-$100
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Steel wood & Vinegar, White Adirondack chalk paint by Folk Art, Minwax Matt Polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Cedar Planter for Pole Beans

Submitted by swhitead on Mon, 07/20/2020 - 10:41

Increased width of box to 46" by using 8 fence boards instead of 3. put base at 12" down, lined box with landscaping fabric to hold dirt. Created trellis with 1x2 boards with 10" long corner braces, spaced screws 6" apart around edges and weaved cotton thread to create the trellis. Used 12" scraps of 2x2 to create a "slot" inside the center of the planter to support the trellis. Added container mix and green pole beans started in egg cartons earlier in the spring.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Seasonal And Holiday

Privacy Planters with Solar Lights

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/09/2024 - 08:16

I needed a frugal solution to get a bit of privacy in our backyard. I didn’t want to dig post holes and all the premade solutions I found and liked were at least double the cost of this project. I used pretreated lumber which isn’t recommended for veggies/plants, but I knew I wasn’t going to plant veggies so I lined them with plastic and landscape fabric and made sure to add drainage holes. To reduce the amount of soil I needed in each I added some cutoffs of a tree my friend cut down in their yard. The whole thing came together in less than a day! The easy to follow free plans can be found @anawhitediy -highly recommend! (Thank you!!!) Very easy to follow and the shopping list and cut list were super helpful!

Jesi 🖤

Built from Plan(s)
Seasonal And Holiday

modified farmhouse bed

Submitted by sheppard71 on Mon, 09/24/2012 - 08:49

spare room home project

Estimated Cost
250 - 300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
ebony 2718
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

made with love

Love this design. Good project for beginners.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Outdoor paint
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Corner hutch

Submitted by Soni_max on Wed, 07/22/2020 - 15:05

Built this for a friend. She ask for it to be built with Chicken wire for that Country feel. I think it turned out really nice.

DIY Doghouse

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 06/15/2024 - 13:33

I'm going to build a second one but it looks like both dogs are enjoying this one I was even able to get them to get in it together when it wasn't too hot :-)

This is my first project from your website and it was really interesting I ended up modifying the plans a little. For the modifications the back panel was pre-drilled and attached with bolts and t-nuts to allow me to easily remove when the weather starts to get cold and put in insulation... Order clean it. It's a very good size dog house and I really enjoyed this project! Thank you so much for your contributions to those that have never actually worked on anything like this before.

Cathleen

 

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

For Annika -

Submitted by sueslager on Wed, 09/26/2012 - 15:08

I have too many scraps … and a granddaughter with a 2nd birthday coming up soon … so spent a couple hours cutting the pieces … took extra time since i was trying to make scraps work … but it still came together well. I had trouble making pocket screws work on this project … but the design makes it easy to bury and cover regular screws.

Estimated Cost
free - used scraps
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
martha stewart satin latex - custom mix - with wax finish
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Extended Farmhouse Bedside Table/End Table

I used the Farmhouse Bedside Table plans as a starting point for this Christmas gift project for my husband. I removed 5" off the legs, omitted the shelf and doubled the width so that it would hold 30 DVDs in the drawer. I wanted something unique for his man cave and coming from England this seemed a great way of introducing our heritage without being overpowering in the room. Great project plan and easy to follow and only took a day to make including the painting time.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$20
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Benjamin Moore Cloud White for the main unit with Martha Stewart's all purpose craft paints for the Union Jack.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Coffee Bar

Submitted by eddingsr on Mon, 10/31/2016 - 10:56

I modified this plan to fit a 27"x 25" chunk of butcher block that my mother-in-law gave me. The finished height is 36 & 1/2". I didn't have any special tools to make the notches for the shelves. I simply lowered the blade-stop on my 7&1/4" miter saw and fastened the screw with hair ties (or in other words, I jimmy-rigged it ;)). I practiced on scrap wood until I reached the depth I needed. There is a 9&1/4" clearance between both shelves, and the shelves have a 1" overhang off the sides. I mainly used pocket holes to connect the pieces. The shelves (3-2x6s each) were fastened together with wood glue and pocket holes, then I slid them into place and screwed them into the side aprons/supports from the top, then filled with wood filler. For the top, I added support from underneathe (2x2s that I had on-hand), then used 2&1/2" screws from underneathe through the 2x2s into the butcher block. At first I used zinc wood screws, but learned quickly that they strip extremely easily, so I switched to sheet rock screws. Fun project!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$35 in lumber, not counting the butcher block top which I got for free from my mother-in-law.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
For the butcher block, I decided to stain it since it would not be coming into contact with food. I sanded the butcher block with 220 grit sandpaper with my orbital sander. For the rest of my project I first used 80 grit, then 220 grit. Then I applied pre-stain wood conditioners overall, then Minwax provencial stain (I left it on for about 3 minutes then wiped it off). Then I used two coats of polyeurethene, sanding with 400 grit between the coats.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Mud Kitchen

We live in the south so we opted for treated wood. We weren’t able to locate all the connectors to combine sink sprayer and water hose so we ended up just getting another garden hose and sprayer. Works just as well. We used Smokey Mirror exterior stain to add some color. Didn’t have all the tools handy so we opted for a farm style sink that sits on top of the wood. Kids loving it so far, they have been playing non stop. Thanks for the great plan.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
60
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Kentwood Bed

After searching for the perfect bed (quality bed) that didn't cost a fortune and after discovering Ana's site a while back I got the nerve to try to build my sons bed! My husband help me cut the large pieces and figure out how to use a Kreg Jig.It was really easy and fun!!! Thanks for the plans and the inspiration!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100.00
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
sanded, preconditioned the wood and stained with Minwax Early American stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Our first DIY a beautiful Farmhouse Table

Submitted by SaraLouise on Fri, 07/25/2014 - 08:21

Our first DIY project and although we were a little nervous getting started I couldn''t be happier with how it turned out! It's exactly like all the tables I loved in stores and magazines and the plan made it so easy! It's hard to believe we did it ourselves. To anyone who is nervous about getting started don't be! I recommend you read the whole plan start to finish before you start and the brag posts are awesome for trouble shooting.

A few recommendations I have would be to sand down condition and put a single coat of stain on before building. I found it difficult to get stain in the cracks between the table top boards. I would also cut the notches out on the base of the table based on the size of the board not the measurements on the plan to make sure you get a snug fit. We have a few gaps which I can live with but would change if we do it again. I also learned the hard way DO NOT use wood filler. Even if it says it's stainable it's all lies! Mix together wood glue and saw dust. The wood filler did not absorb stain so we had to sand down the entire table top again and start over.

Overall the plan was easy to follow and produced a beautiful table that I can't wait to entertain with!

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Combination stain of Minwax American Walnut and Minwax Special Oak no finish yet.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

ehays216

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 06:38

Beautiful table, I love the way your finish mixture came out and want to try that on my next project! Thanks for sharing the details!

Sliding Door Console

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/05/2016 - 06:21

My wife and I had a great time building this sliding door console. Most of the vertical pieces (doors included) were build with pallet wood.  Horizontal pieces and frame were build from wood from local hardware stores. Sliding hardware was constructed with aluminum and pulley wheels. Unlike Ana White's original plans, we decided to isolate each cabinet section of the console.  The far left and right areas are separated into two, whereas the middle sections are split into three. Using a Kreg Jig was exceptionall helpful. Please visit  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/263319909442699999 if you have any questions.

Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Grandkids built Cedar Planter

Submitted by atlayank on Sun, 07/26/2020 - 18:22

Two of my grandsons built this cedar planter after I did the cutting of the wood. They did all the measuring and put it together very nicely!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
15
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Natural
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Rustic Table

Submitted by worrow on Thu, 10/04/2012 - 19:51

I wanted to make a table for our daughters birthday to put a spread of food on.
I went out in search for pallets and threw a quick sketch together and brought it to life.

Currently it is my computer table, but only for the next week then on to it's purpose.

Start to finish took 3 days

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
jacobean stain and polyurethane satin finish
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

jamielynntaylor06

Fri, 10/05/2012 - 10:17

How many coats of the Polyurethane did you use? I just finished with my first build. I have painted, stained, and put 2 coats of the Polyurethane on it. The table is still very ruff and it just overall doesnt feel finished. Im not sure what I should do...

In reply to by jamielynntaylor06

worrow

Wed, 06/05/2013 - 18:35

So I forgot I had my account. My advice might be a little late but we used 3 coats on that table. We normally go through the grits prior to starting the staining process. 150...220...300 after every coat do a very light hand sanding till it is smooth but try and avoid putting too much pressure. Then give it a wipe down with a damp cloth and let dry before applying next coat. 3 is a good amount of coats for something indoors like this one. Again so sorry I did not get back sooner. I use pinterest more for putting up my project images.

Oak hall tree

Submitted by sparkyht55 on Mon, 07/28/2014 - 16:37

This was the first furniture project I have ever done. My wife seen this at Pier 1, of course it was all particle board and pine and "cheap feeling" but not cheap in price. She showed me the one on here and of course I was up for it. The deal was, I make it she paints it and of course I need a miter saw. Probably would not make this my first project because it was a bit challenging. Getting the long cuts square with a circular saw proved challenging and getting the squares on the back square was tough. With it being oak I learned that oak is not forgiving, especially without a nail gun. The pocket hole jig and their application are great and easy though. It did take me a while due to time constraints and the price to build may be off because I really didn't count as I bought things. All in all, I use this piece of furniture everyday. It is the first thing you see when you walk in the house and I am very proud of it, as is my wife. She did a great job with the finish and the glaze really gives it a nice look. The hooks are cast iron that we got at an antique store. This is the only picture I took, no in-process pics.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Not sure, maybe 200 bucks
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr ultra Pacific Sea Teal with Rust-oleum decorative glaze, and Weathered Oak Stain with Polyurethane finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

sparkyht55

Mon, 07/28/2014 - 16:39

Hooks were not on in picture. I used 4, 2 on top for coats, 2 on second horizontal down for backpacks.

Tower in the Czech Republic

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 11/07/2016 - 21:32

I built it twice for my son and nephew, both love it and use it every day.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

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